Multi-functional units incorporating lighting capabilities in converged networks

Abstract

Multi-functional units incorporating lighting capabilities in converged networks, and related networks and methods are disclosed. The multi-functional units are configured to be included at end points in a wireless communications network to serve as distribution points for distribution of communications services. Each multi-functional unit includes a plurality of wireless communications circuits in a single unit or housing to support multiple communications services. Thus, a single multi-functional unit can be installed in a location to support the multiple communications services to minimize installation footprint. To further conserve installation footprint, the wireless communications network can be provided as a converged network that includes a single communications backbone to converge multiple networks for the multiple communications services supported by the multi-functional units. Further, by the multi-functional units also supporting lighting capabilities, the multi-functional units may be installed in lighting fixture locations to minimize the footprint.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A converged network for supporting lighting and communications services, comprising:
 a plurality of electrical conducting power cables and a plurality of communications cables; 
 a central communications unit configured to distribute downlink communications signals over the plurality of communications cables and receive uplink communications signals over the plurality of communications cables; 
 a plurality of multi-functional units, at least one multi-functional unit among the plurality of multi-functional units comprising:
 at least one power interface circuit configured to be coupled to at least one electrical conducting power cable among the plurality of electrical conducting power cables to receive electrical power distributed over the at least one electrical conducting power cable; 
 
 a plurality of wireless communications circuits each comprising at least one antenna configured to transmit the downlink communications signals comprising wireless downlink communications signals received from at least one communications cable among the plurality of communications cables from the central communications unit into an antenna service area associated with a wireless device, and distribute wireless uplink communications signals received over the at least one antenna as the uplink communications signals over at least one communications cables among the plurality of communications cables to the central communications unit; and 
 a lighting component comprising a light and configured to receive the electrical power to transmit the light into a coverage area of the at least one multi-functional unit, the lighting component comprising a lighting control circuit configured to:
 receive a lighting instruction distributed in a received downlink communications signal from the at least one communications cable among the plurality of communications cables from the central communications unit; and 
 control the electrical power received from the at least one power interface circuit to the light in response to the lighting instruction. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein the central communications unit comprises a network management circuit including at least one switch controlling communications between the network management circuit and the plurality of multi-functional units. 
     
     
       3. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein the central communications unit comprises a head-end circuit configured to distribute the downlink communications signals over the plurality of communications cables to the plurality of multi-functional units and to receive the uplink communications signals over the plurality of communications cables from the plurality of multi-functional units. 
     
     
       4. The converged network of  claim 3 , wherein the head-end wireless communications circuit comprises a plurality of electrical-to-optical (E/O) converters configured to convert downlink communications signals comprising electrical downlink communications signals into optical downlink communications signals, and a plurality of optical-to-electrical (O/E) converters configured to convert received uplink communications signals comprising optical uplink communications signals into electrical uplink communications signals. 
     
     
       5. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein the central communications unit further comprises a building control circuit comprising an environmental control circuit configured to distribute the lighting instruction in a downlink communications signal over the at least one communications cable to at least one multi-functional unit to cause the lighting control circuit to distribute the electrical power to the lighting component to a light level according to the lighting instruction. 
     
     
       6. The converged network of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one communications cable among the plurality of communications cables coupled to the at least one multi-functional unit comprises a continuous optical path from the central communications unit to the at least one multi-functional unit. 
     
     
       7. The converged network of  claim 2 , wherein each communications cable among the plurality of communications cables forms a separate continuous optical path from the central communications unit to a coupled multi-functional unit among the plurality of multi-functional units. 
     
     
       8. The converged network of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one interconnect unit (ICU) coupled to the at least one multi-functional unit, the at least one ICU comprising a power circuit configured to draw the electrical power at or adjacent to the at least one ICU and to distribute the electrical power over at least one electrical conducting power cable to the at least one multi-functional unit. 
     
     
       9. The converged network of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one ICU is configured to distribute direct current (DC) power over the at least one electrical conducting power cable to the at least one multi-functional unit. 
     
     
       10. The converged network of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one power interface circuit is configured to receive the electrical power over the at least one electrical conducting power cable coupled to the at least one ICU. 
     
     
       11. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one power interface circuit is configured to receive the electrical power over the at least one electrical conducting power cable from a power source at or adjacent to the coverage area of the at least one multi-functional unit. 
     
     
       12. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wireless communications circuit among one or more wireless communications circuits comprises at least one wireless access point. 
     
     
       13. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wireless access point comprises at least one Wi-Fi access point. 
     
     
       14. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wireless communications circuit of the one or more wireless communications circuits comprises at least one small cell radio circuit configured to transmit mobile telephone wireless downlink communications signals and receive mobile telephone wireless uplink communications signals. 
     
     
       15. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wireless communications circuit of the one or more wireless communications circuits comprises at least one remote antenna unit for a distributed antenna system (DAS). 
     
     
       16. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein at least one wireless communications circuit of the one or more wireless communications circuits comprises at least one location-based services circuit configured to obtain location data of the at least one multi-functional unit. 
     
     
       17. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one multi-functional unit further comprises:
 at least one communications interface circuit configured to be coupled to at least one communications cable among the plurality of communications cables, 
 the at least one communications interface circuit configured to receive the downlink communications signals for a plurality of communications services over the at least one communications cable from the central communications unit, and distribute the uplink communications signals for the plurality of communications services over the at least one communications cable to the central communications unit. 
 
     
     
       18. The converged network of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one Ethernet switch communicatively coupled to at least one communications interface circuit among one or more communications interface circuits. 
     
     
       19. The converged network of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one radio frequency (RF) beacon circuit communicatively coupled to at least one communications interface circuit among the one or more communications interface circuits. 
     
     
       20. The converged network of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one temperature sensing circuit communicatively coupled to at least one communications interface circuit among the one or more communications interface circuits. 
     
     
       21. The converged network of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one camera communicatively coupled to at least one communications interface circuit among the one or more communications interface circuits. 
     
     
       22. The converged network of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one wireless docketing station circuit communicatively coupled to at least one communications interface circuit among the one or more communications interface circuits. 
     
     
       23. The converged network of  claim 17 , further comprising at least one air quality sensor circuit communicatively coupled to at least one communications interface circuit among the one or more communications interface circuits. 
     
     
       24. The converged network of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one wireless powering transmitter circuit coupled to at least one power interface circuit among a plurality of power interface circuits. 
     
     
       25. The converged network of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one occupancy sensor circuit coupled to at least one power interface circuit among the plurality of power interface circuits. 
     
     
       26. The converged network of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one computer coupled to at least one power interface circuit among the plurality of power interface circuits, the at least one computer coupled to at least one communications interface circuit among the one or more communications interface circuits. 
     
     
       27. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one multi-functional unit further comprises an optical network terminal (ONT) component including at least one demultiplexer configured to demultiplex the received downlink communications signals and at least one multiplexer configured to multiplex the received uplink communications signals. 
     
     
       28. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of communications cables is coupled to a multi-functional unit among the plurality of multi-functional units. 
     
     
       29. The converged network of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical conducting power cables and the plurality of communications cables are arranged in a pair as a hybrid cable each comprising one electrical conducting power cable and one communications cable.